A Stroll In Holland

Today I got to see a little bit of the nation that is the Netherlands. I went for a nice quiet 2 hour ride to a town near here called “Ommen”. The ride was another picturesque European scene from a movie. As I road on the bike path (which are literally everywhere) I passed fields with cows and corn, then forests into more fields. The cow pastures here are significantly smaller than American ones. It seems our cows are incredibly spoiled! That would be if only if the grass was not as green and perfect as I have seen in my few years of life; good ol’ American spray-paint can’t match this honesty. Also, along the way I realized that I don’t think the Dutch people like Americans very much. I got stared down with every passing citizen. I guess one would expect the same treatment in a big American city such as New York or Los Angeles, but I never saw it coming from this little homely Dutch town. Although these people seem to not take kindly to me, I did notice the importance of family that overshadows America’s pathetic attempt at it (not to offend). In this Western European culture work is a lot less important than family. I learned in German class that the typical German work week is only 32-35 hours long, and is considered full time. This leaves plenty of room for family, and they do bond a lot through “holiday”. Ask any of these people where they’ve been and you will hear a long list followed by “that’s usually on holiday” or something like that. These people get it. Family trumps money every time, no excuse. Please, if you don’t already let your family know how important they are, do so soon because we all know the fathers love; now display it to those closest to you. And to my family, you all know how you have impacted me and how much I love you guys.

The Land of Eternal Rain

Every day when I wake up and go outside it is raining. Although to most this may put them in a sort of depressed mood, but not anybody here. Maybe because the rain here is different, for it is not impairing rain, but a soft tender rain. It’s almost a pleasant rain. The scenery here (I am currently in the Netherlands) is absolutely beautiful, it takes my breath away. We are in a little medieval hotel in the middle of a farming community with all sorts of animals and their respective pastures all around us. There are people riding bikes all over the place and small cars whizzing around the brick-layed roads. Our hotel is right next to a decent sized river with a cow pasture on the other side. No matter how hard the rain was, it could never steal God’s handmade beauty I see all around me. But it’s not only here; for honestly the drive here reminded me of Ohio with flat land and ever changing landscape of city and farmland. It even makes me appreciate what we have to look at in the USA, Michigan is a beautiful place, as is most of the US.
What can match the beauty of this place is the beauty of the people I am surrounded by constantly. These are good people. It is hard to find a place where people genuinely care about you, but I found a place where EVERYBODY cares about you. Genuine love is a truly gorgeous thing. Not to mention the beauty of the foreign women! Just kidding. I really know this is where I am called to be, the next part is getting over my past and moving forward into a new life that has been set before me. I do miss all of those I left behind sorely, yet I am filled with hope. I know I will see all you guys again soon. I am not sorry for leaving though, as I found a temporary home in this place. Just know I think of you all the time, and you are all in my prayers, and keep me in yours.

A New Chapter Begins

Today was the day; I am currently in Metro airport all alone. I just left my family and friends that accompanied me to the airport. The whole “good bye” thing is one of the worst parts of this. Leaving my friends as they grow up and go through college is so hard. I feel like I will miss out on so much over this span. My nephew is 1 ½ years old, so he will be 3 ½ when I get back. That’s two years I miss out on in his life. My parents will probably remain the same, but I have seen them almost every day for 21 years, now I won’t. Thinking of all of this brings tears to my eyes, as it did to some of the people who came with me; but I can’t look back.

It’s kind of strange to me that the fear still hasn’t set fully in yet, and I am almost there. I have had moments where I get nervous and scared, but they pass easier than a spelling test. I really am good at living in the moment, and always have been. My mind is thrown about so many different ways, and I think that right now it’s helping me accept my losses and count my blessings. How many people get the opportunity to see the world like this? How many get the chance to grow and mature outside of the starving land of America? This is where I need to be, and I know it. I’m ready to go. Please pray for courage!

The Humdrum of Monotony

It’s so hard to stay on fire for too long in this culture. Every day I meet with people I feel a level of excitement beyond explanation, yet when I don’t meet with people it is hard to stay on fire. Sometimes it is so hard to bear the monotonous schedule of work and life. It is always the same. Some people have a really hard time dealing with change, such as my mother, and love to have a set schedule. I’m not one of those people. I wouldn’t say I thrive on change, but I do enjoy when things just happen. I am also not very good at making plans. This may go in with my awful short-term memory, which causes me to forget previous plans anyways. Back to the point, I need change. This is pointed out by my track record at jobs. The first couple of months I like it, sometimes love it, but after 3-5 months I start hating going in every day, usually at the same time. I’m not sure how this will translate in my career, but we’ll see. Please pray for patience and persistence in my life as raising funds has even found its low in my life. This place is so distracting. I wish I could devote more time to this, as it is the most important thing, but it is incredibly hard to be able to find time right now. Pray for me please!

Ode To a Loyal Friend

You were always at my side

Through thick and thin

I was yours and you were mine

You were like my kin

The years grew long and hours short

We grew old and apart

But you were still my last resort

But never at the start

I wish we had spent more time together

I was too busy for you

Even though our bond was never severed

I treated you like a fool

I look back on our time with tearful eyes

Tears for good and bad

Thoughts and memories but never lies

I can’t help but feel sad

I wish I could do it all over again

I wish I’d loved you more

I want to take back what I said

You were never a chore

I hope you were happy in your years

And felt all of our love

I hope I never cause you to shed tears

I hope you are waiting above

I miss you already oh dear good friend

For you were special to me

This wound is one that only time can mend

Now that you’re gone I see

I see just how deep our bond actually is

Now I wish to give you one last kiss





I wrote this for my dog (i wouldn't actually kiss him, it is figurative) who passed away yesterday. Again, you don't know what you have until it's gone. I never spent enough time with him...